Louisiana Purchase - not such a bargain, now, eh?
A lot of you have written to ask, don't you think you were a bit hasty in dismissing the news about Hurricane Katrina the other day? Please allow me to clarify.
My complaint was not about Katrina not being such a big thing, but that the media, in their Hallmark Universe way, were pre-reporting the impact of it before the impact had happened. The usual problem of speculation and hype before an event, so that no matter how severe the event, there's always a slight feeling of let down.
In other words, it was only yesterday that the British news media woke up to the fact that, on Sunday, something really quite extreme did indeed happen, and started to report it as such. The BBC news pattern went like this:
1. The sky is falling
2. The sky is falling on New Orleans
3. The sky didn't, in fact, fall.
4. [whistles to pass the time]
5. Something big fell. It wasn't the sky. We'll get back to you.
6. Part of the sky fell, but not where we thought it did. We were looking the other way. Please hold [hold music].
7. President Bush says that part of the sky has fallen in some part of the USA where we didn't have any reporters because they were in New Orleans. All our reporters are now leaving new Orleans to attend the scene. In the meantime, we'll talk to some locals who s p e a k v e r y s l o w l y w i t h a D e e p S o u t h a c c e n t. How quaint. Please hold [hold music].
8. Whoops. The impact of part of the sky falling elsewhere is now washing up in New Orleans. We are now rushing back to report on that.
9. New Orleans is being evacuated because the part of the sky fell in Alabama. Please hold [hold music: "Stars Fell on Alabama"]
10. We're confused.
Which is my long-winded way of saying that, while the eye of the storm missed New Orleans, the greatest risk to that city came afterwards, as flood waters and debris came down river, and over the levees. But it happens not at the height of the news hype cycle, but afterwards, when they think it's over. And yet, not so much a surprise, and not unprecedented, because it's the stuff of songs:
In The News
media
My complaint was not about Katrina not being such a big thing, but that the media, in their Hallmark Universe way, were pre-reporting the impact of it before the impact had happened. The usual problem of speculation and hype before an event, so that no matter how severe the event, there's always a slight feeling of let down.
In other words, it was only yesterday that the British news media woke up to the fact that, on Sunday, something really quite extreme did indeed happen, and started to report it as such. The BBC news pattern went like this:
1. The sky is falling
2. The sky is falling on New Orleans
3. The sky didn't, in fact, fall.
4. [whistles to pass the time]
5. Something big fell. It wasn't the sky. We'll get back to you.
6. Part of the sky fell, but not where we thought it did. We were looking the other way. Please hold [hold music].
7. President Bush says that part of the sky has fallen in some part of the USA where we didn't have any reporters because they were in New Orleans. All our reporters are now leaving new Orleans to attend the scene. In the meantime, we'll talk to some locals who s p e a k v e r y s l o w l y w i t h a D e e p S o u t h a c c e n t. How quaint. Please hold [hold music].
8. Whoops. The impact of part of the sky falling elsewhere is now washing up in New Orleans. We are now rushing back to report on that.
9. New Orleans is being evacuated because the part of the sky fell in Alabama. Please hold [hold music: "Stars Fell on Alabama"]
10. We're confused.
Which is my long-winded way of saying that, while the eye of the storm missed New Orleans, the greatest risk to that city came afterwards, as flood waters and debris came down river, and over the levees. But it happens not at the height of the news hype cycle, but afterwards, when they think it's over. And yet, not so much a surprise, and not unprecedented, because it's the stuff of songs:
Crash on the levee, mama,
Water's gonna overflow,
Swamp's gonna rise,
No boat's gonna row.
Now, you can train on down
To Williams Point,
You can bust your feet,
You can rock this joint.
But oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
You're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow.
...
Well, that high tide's risin',
Mama, don't you let me down.
Pack up your suitcase,
Mama, don't you make a sound.
Now, it's king for king,
Queen for queen,
It's gonna be the meanest flood
That anybody's seen.
Oh mama, ain't you gonna miss your best friend now?
Yes, you're gonna have to find yourself
Another best friend, somehow.
In The News
media
posted by Anonymous at
Thursday, September 01, 2005
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